US President Donald J. Trump plans to attend UFC 244 to witness the first fight for “The Baddest Motherf***** Belt.” | Photo by BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images
The United States president plans to attend this weekend’s huge UFC show at Madison Square Garden.
According to Annie Karni of the New York Times, Donald Trump is expected to be among those in attendance at UFC 244 in New York City on Saturday night.
This news comes just a couple of months after his sons, Donald Jr and Eric Trump, attended the Colby Covington vs. Robbie Lawler fight three months ago, sitting cageide to root for Colby, who is an unabashed Trump supporter. The Trump family’s association with the UFC, primarily through Dana White and Covington, has been well documented. From White bragging about his three-hour dinner with Trump Jimmy Kimmel, to his speech in support of Trump at the Republican National Convention, White has been one of Trump’s most enthusiastic supporters.
Trump was a notable supporter of the UFC during its infancy. When most venues did not want anything to do with the sport and considered it a barbaric novelty act, Trump offered the Taj Mahal for UFC 28, 30 and 31. White has often brought up this story when discussing his relationship with the U.S. president.
UFC 244 will be headlined by welterweights Jorge Masvidal and Nate Diaz, marking the first ever fight for the “Baddest Motherf—ker Belt.” There’s no word yet on whether Donald will attend the UFC 245 main event, which is headlined by Kamaru Usman against Colby Covington.